I'd love an II here, since I know 2 med students who love it. Anyone know if they are still giving them out? Or if I can send a pre-interview letter?
2015-2016 University of Texas - Galveston Application Thread
- Thread starter Ismet
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Unfortunately their last interview date was Dec 11th.
Boo. Thanks! & good luck!
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Dang, cookie. Are you just gonna collect acceptances from every allopathic school in the US? hahah congrats! =P
Thank you!!!! Haha, trust me I was not expecting my application cycle to go this well.😀
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ACCEPTED!!!!!
Only Texas interview, only acceptance I need.
Only Texas interview, only acceptance I need.
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ACCEPTED!!!!! Ahhhhhh I'm dying!!!! Love this school so much 😍😍
Email at 3:39pm
Can't wait!!!!
😍Email at 3:39pm
Can't wait!!!!
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Accepted. Odd time to be accepted.
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Okay, that powerpoint was adorable. Like this by far has been the coolest acceptance email.
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Me too 🙁
Looks like I'm staring a 4th application cycle in the face :/
May I ask what stats y'all had (to chose who got prematches today!)
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I'm IS as well. If you interviewed 11/20 they might not have come to a decision on your application yet, stay optimistic!
My stats are 4.0 & 504. I hate that good news for one sometimes means bad news to another 🙁
Best of luck everyone, and can't wait to meet my future classmates!
I interviewed 10/23.
I can't take this anymore. I'm literally in tears right now 🙁
I've been trying for 7 years and 3 application cycles (this one included) trying to get in.
That'd be awesome if they haven't gotten to 11/20 yet! One can only hope 🙁
Congratulations on your acceptance
I've been trying for 7 years and 3 application cycles (this one included) trying to get in.
That'd be awesome if they haven't gotten to 11/20 yet! One can only hope 🙁
Congratulations on your acceptance
I have a 4.0gpa, 29 MCAT. Don't give up just yet, the cycle isn't over! I'm 100% sure that I will be withdrawing my acceptance and there will be other people that will have to do so as well.
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Didn't prematch today either. Interviewed 12/4.
My biggest fear is because I interviewed on second to last date at UTMB that I am essentially interviewing for waitlist. Praying to God that this is not true.
Does anyone know if there are more prematches to be released by UTMB? Or do we now wait for the match?
My biggest fear is because I interviewed on second to last date at UTMB that I am essentially interviewing for waitlist. Praying to God that this is not true.
Does anyone know if there are more prematches to be released by UTMB? Or do we now wait for the match?
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Are URM if you don't mind me asking?
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You definitely didn't interview for a wait list spot since I interviewed on 12/4 as well. When I called Monday they did say that they were going to release pre-matches sometime during the week and it sounded like the rest were going to match. Since they do send out so many acceptances (more than 500 I believe) for 230 spots, I believe a lot will prematch.
Stay optimistic everybody 🙂
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I heard UTMB is Match heavy...?
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Dont give up hope @texan2414 , I'very seen you around the threads and I'm definitely rooting for you. December 4th was not a waitlist interview at all!
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I heard this school is very URM friendly, 50% but I have yet to be admitted. :/
I can't take this anymore. I'm literally in tears right now 🙁
I've been trying for 7 years and 3 application cycles (this one included) trying to get in.
That'd be awesome if they haven't gotten to 11/20 yet! One can only hope 🙁
Congratulations on your acceptance
Dayuummm dude you've been trying for 7 years to get in? What are you stats if you don't mind me asking?
First application cycle: 3.84 cGPA/33R MCAT (downward GPA trend from 4.0 to 3.84 due to mother being diagnosed with cancer. Made B's in developmental bio, mechanisms of drug action, macromolecular structure determination, and molecular biology and a C in evolution)
Second application cycle: 3.84 cGPA/33R MCAT (added a year of EMT-B volunteer hours, did not allay adcom's concerns about my ability to handle the rigors of medical school given my downward trend in GPA)
Third application cycle (current): 3.91 cPGA/517 MCAT (obtained a 3rd undergraduate degree to bolster my GPA). I made straight As for 6 semesters straight obtaining my third degree to prove that my downward trend in GPA was an aberration.
I refuse to give up. If I have to do a 1-2 year special master's program and apply when I'm in my early 30s, I'll do it (I'm 28). If I need a 520+ on my MCAT, I'll put in the work. I'm not giving up. I'm just disillusioned about the match process because, like texan2414 mentioned, UTMB tends to be pre-match heavy from what I've heard. At this point we're simply waiting on people with multiple offers to turn UTMB down.
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I'm so incredibly impressed at your persistence. Why do you think your academic qualifications are questionable? 33/517 MCAT with such a fabulous GPA, I don't think its your stats that's becoming a hindrance.
Have you seeked guidance of admissions officers in the past after the cycle was over? I spoke with Dr. Rabek last year after I did not get in EY2014 and it was my MCAT that was the issue. He also gave me pointers for my personal statement. I also spoke with Dr. Diaz at Texas A&M. Have you spoken to anyone regarding your application?
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And I have a couple thoughts on the prematch/match -
Yes, they are waiting for students to turn down slots but even if they have 80% of the seats full, they are not guaranteed to get students in those 80% of the seats because people will matriculate to other schools, plus people can only go to match day with 1 prematch. Even with the 80% scenario, that leaves 20% of the offers open. There were 5 interview dates from Nov - Dec. Assuming UTMB did interview 60 students per day, that's 300 interviewees vying for 90-100 offers. 1/3 chance is better than no chance in this worst case scenario!
Last year UTMB sent a total of 448 offers (prematch + match).
Also, after all we are just assuming that prematch "heavy" means 80% of the class. Who knows maybe its just 60%???
I like you am NOT losing hope lol.
Yes, they are waiting for students to turn down slots but even if they have 80% of the seats full, they are not guaranteed to get students in those 80% of the seats because people will matriculate to other schools, plus people can only go to match day with 1 prematch. Even with the 80% scenario, that leaves 20% of the offers open. There were 5 interview dates from Nov - Dec. Assuming UTMB did interview 60 students per day, that's 300 interviewees vying for 90-100 offers. 1/3 chance is better than no chance in this worst case scenario!
Last year UTMB sent a total of 448 offers (prematch + match).
Also, after all we are just assuming that prematch "heavy" means 80% of the class. Who knows maybe its just 60%???
I like you am NOT losing hope lol.
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Its been posted frequently on SDN (and nowhere else) that UTMB is a prematch heavy school. I kinda want to NOT believe it (because what do SDN'ers know???) but at the same time, the premed neuroses forces you to contend with the "prematch heavy" characterization of UTMB's admissions policies lol.
Jesus ****ing Christ dude, I'm sorry brother :/. Are you OOS/ORM (or both?). I can't imagine that you're OOS, but I figured I'd ask. Where did you apply to? Your stats are competitive for UTSW/Baylor even if you're an ORM.
I appreciate it man! There is one sliver of hope left. I had an interview at Texas Tech Lubbock last Friday and I felt like those interviews went extremely well.
After my first application cycle (interviews at UTSW, UTH, and UTMB), I contacted my interviewers at UTSW and they told me that my stats were simply mediocre for their school. They told me nothing was particularly wrong with my application, but they simply had more qualified applicants than spots (generic response). I did not contact Dr. Rabek, nor did I contact anyone from UTH. During my UTH interview, one of my interviewers (a surgeon) seemed keen on getting me to come to UTH. He asked where I had interviewed and I told him that I had interviewed at UTSW and UTMB. He then facetiously said that I should come to UTH instead of hanging around with the "beach bums" (his words verbatim) down in Galveston (he said this laughingly in jest, but the point is that he seemed keen on having me attend UTH. I thought my interview went well with him!)
After my second application cycle (interviews at UTSW and Texas A&M), I contacted one of my interviewers at A&M (Dr. Naik) and he told me that getting straight B's and C's in upper level bio courses immediately before matriculating to medical school was a huge red flag. Their rationale was that if I crumble so much under the prospect of a family member being diagnosed with cancer, how can I possibly handle the rigors of medicine when physicians are expected to stay steady and collected in emotionally trying situations.
I graduated with degrees in Neuroscience and Biochemistry initially. I added a degree in chemical engineering with a minor in mathematics (2013-current) for the current cycle. I'll have 3 B.S. degrees (Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Chemical Engineering) and a minor (Mathematics) come Spring 2016.
If I don't get in this cycle, I am absolutely going to be proactive and ask every one of my interviewers as well as both adcom's (at UTMB and Texas Tech Lubbock) what I can do to improve my chances for an upcoming cycle.
A common question people asked me was why chemical engineering? It seems to paint a picture that I am not passionately interested in medicine. The reason I chose chemical engineering is three-fold:
1) I needed a way to improve my GPA (in particular, my GPA trend per feedback after my 2nd cycle) and I had already exhausted all bio-related courses at my school. I've taken every bio/biochem course under the sun.
2) I wanted to choose a particularly difficult major to prove that I can thrive in medical school. Our undergraduate chemical engineering program is top 5 in the nation, and I had hoped that getting straight A's would sell well for admissions committees.
3) I wanted a backup in case medical school did not work out. Bachelors degrees in neuroscience and biochemistry are no-go's for employment, but chemical engineering is a terminal degree with great job prospects even at the bachelor's level. Chemical engineering is fairly diverse in that one doesn't have to go into oil ands gas. I chose the biomedical/pre-med "track" while pursuing my degree in chemical engineering, and consequently a bulk of my electives were bio-related.
My first texas tech interviewer was shocked that I did not get in and she straight up told me "there is absolutely nothing wrong with your application and it's their loss for not admitting you" (she was referring to schools that had interviewed me prior). My second interview was a stress interview where we talked about physician assisted suicide at length, but I feel like I handled it fairly well and by the end of the interview my interviewer told me I did a "great job" and that he would recommend me to the admissions committee. Our interview went over by 20 minutes (we talked for 40 minutes when interviews are meant to be 20 minutes a piece).
I've definitely felt interview anxiety at various times in the past. My very first interview ever many years ago was with Dr. Wynn at UTSW, and I can safely say I bombed that one. But I've grown since then. As for the current cycle, if I had one poor interview it would likely be my first one at UTMB. The interviewer kept probing my interest in medicine in the following way
Interviewer: So I see you have a degree in engineering. Why not a PhD?
Me (paraphrasing): I've considered a PhD, but my heart is in medicine for X, Y, and Z reasons
Interviewer: But you can certainly help people getting a PhD. We need engineers working in the field of medical devices if you want to stay in healthcare (Note: wanting to helping people was one of my reason, but I emphasized that this is merely a necessary but, by itself, an insufficient condition for wanting to become a physician. Being a doctor subsumes so much more than a mere willingness to "help people")
Me: That's true! But you know I really think being a PhD and being an M.D. differ in <W> and and it's really the combination of W, X, Y, and Z that drives me to want to become a physician.
Interviewer: Okay that's true but you're saying you would be okay being an engineer?
Me: ???
I remained courteous, upbeat, and polite throughout the interview, but she seemed very insistent on trying to get me to admit that I really wanted to do engineering which I thought was a little strange. I've gone through the chemical engineering curriculum. I absolutely cannot see myself working as a chemical engineer (although I'll do it to make ends meet one day if I absolutely have to). It just doesn't fit my motivations, interests, or goals.
I'll be honest, I did not do well on her hypothetical ethics question. I know that, and perhaps that's why I wasn't pre-matched today. My second interview at UTMB was great, as were both of my interviews at Texas Tech.
I did not apply through AMCAS. My logic was as follows: if I can't get accepted to a medical school in texas as a texas resident, what chance do I have OOS? From what I've been told, texas residents far and away have the highest chance of being accepted to a Texas medical school. I've never applied to Baylor College of Medicine. Why would they interview me when UTHSCSA has literally never interviewed me and A&M failed to interview me 2 out of 3 cycles?
If I have to go through a 4th application cycle, I will almost certainly apply OOS. I have no problem applying D.O., but truthfully I don't have any experience in osteopathic medicine. All of my shadowing experience has been done with M.D.s (a neonatologist and a radiologist). I'm going to take full advantage of the "Re-applicant" forum and ask for advice on which schools I should be applying to out of state.
Were your MCAT scores unbalanced? I'm literally dumbfounded right not as to why you haven't been able to get in. Do you have any sort of criminal background (DUIs?)
I suppose they're a little bit unbalanced given that my CARS score is significantly lower than my science scores. No I absolutely do not have any sort of criminal background! I'm just an average guy of average intelligence who's been trying to get in for as long as I can remember. I graduated 11/585 in my class in high school 10 years ago. I scored a 1490/1600 on my SAT (this goes to show how old I am! Our SAT was out of 1600 back then as we did not have a writing section). I do not come from a disadvantaged background, and perhaps that does not serve me well. I grew up in an upper middle class household, and I've had every advantage given to me in life. I did not have to work while in high school. I worked as a tutor and grader over several semesters in college, but not out of necessity.
Please love me texas tech 🙁
Whoo! Here's hoping 🙂
I absolutely loved Tech! It's such a relaxed place and the people there are among the nicest I've ever met. It'd be a privilege and an honor to go there.
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Jesus christ man, if UTMB turns you down. It's their lost. As a whole, you have too much drive and potential to waste in medical school, but to each his own. I commend your passion.
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Yes, but I also have unique EC's and life experiences. Plus, every single one of my interviewers (except one of my interviewers at UTH) have comended me on my essay writing so that proably has something to do with it too.
Regardless I am withdrawing my acceptance today. Good luck to anyone still waiting!
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Highest in TX?
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2nd I think, before UTSW
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Yeah UTSW is a good bit higher, but so is Baylor.
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I'm pretty sure UTMB is higher than Baylor. Don't let the name/reputation fool you.. Baylor is not as they were, the school itself. I'm not commenting on Baylor students.
Wait, isn't PLFSOM up there too? They said they had higher step 1 scores then UTSW...or do they not count? lol
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My friend who goes to PLFSOM got a 260 Step1
So there average is pretty high then? Like one of the top in the state, above UTSW?
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Idk. Just saying ranking probably means nothing.. every school presents themselves as the best.
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Their average isn't above UTSW. I would need to see the numbers to believe that. I'm pretty sure Baylor has the top scores, then UTSW, UTH, UTMB, and the rest
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The step 1 score is 234 at UTMB and 236 at UTSW. I think it's 243 at Baylor.
Maybe not, but I'm just relaying what they told us at our interview day.
EDIT: Last year PLFSOM's Avg was 235, so not above UTSW but still higher then most of the other schools. And their average MCAT of matriculated students is lower then most of the other schools as well. So then wouldn't it be Baylor, UTSW, PLFSOM, UTH, UTMB....?
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